ROSCOMMON - Kirtland Community College is no longer an average women's basketball program.

It is a winner.

Coaches Tom Ritter and Don Fritz & Co. have turned the tide at the Roscommon-based institution.

"We've been an average team for quite a while so this is quite a feat," said Ritter, the women's head coach after the Lady Firebirds finished regular season play at 18-9.

The Firebirds finished the regular season a year ago one game behind .500 and then dropped the opener of the National Junior College Athletic Association regional tournament.

BY THE NUMBERS

Kirtland Community College Women's Basketball win records:

2008-09: 17-9

2007-08: 13-15

2006-07: 11-18

2005-06: 13-17

2004-05: 11-18

2003-04: 6-23

2002-03: 10-18

2001-02: 12-18

2000-01: 7-18

"We tied the school record for wins last year and we had five sophomores back and we added a couple of good players," Ritter said. "We expected to do well, we just didn't know how well."

The Lady Firebirds' record-breaking effort kept them in the hunt for their first ever state tournament appearance.

But the Lady Firebirds finished tied for the fourth (12-6) and final spot in the balanced Michigan Community College Athletic Association Eastern Division and lost a tie-breaker with St. Clair.

"I expected to be in the top four," Ritter said. "But we lost our focus and lost three games back-to-back.

"We just didn't finish. We lost to Macomb by one, and to St. Clair at home when we had a lead late."

Despite missing a shot to compete for their first state title, Kirtland athletic officials were pleased to see the squad raise the bar for the program.

"I'm very pleased and proud of our success on the court and in the classroom, but not surprised," said Doug Ryckman, Kirtland's athletic director. "Tom and Don have been involved in basketball programs of all ages for many years and are highly respected.

"They know the game and they complement each other's coaching styles very well. And our student-athletes enjoy playing for them."

Kirtland will get a chance to add to its record-breaking season. It will compete March 4 in the National Junior College Athletic Association regional at Owens Tech in Ohio.

"We've gone to the nationals every year even though we weren't a .500 team," said Ritter, who is in his fifth season at Kirtland and third as the head coach. "We looked at the tournaments to see where we needed to be.

"Now we've got a good record and we'll see if we belong."

The Lady Firebirds have knocked off three ranked teams this season with its nine-person roster.

"We don't have a lot of depth, but we have a lot of heart," Ritter said.

The Lady Firebirds have been led most of the season by Evart's Whitney Bonham (post) and three former members of the Bay City Times Dream Team - Kaylon Leslie (Whittemore-Precott post), Brooke Robinson (Standish-Sterling guard) and Kassi McConnell (Clare point guard).

Leslie and McConnell had been averaging about 15 points, with Bonham and Robinson also netting double digits. Leslie and Bonham were averaging nearly eight boards, one more than Robinson. McConnell, the lone freshman among the leader, is also tops in assists and steals.

"What's been amazing is that we have had many different kids step up on different nights and lead," Ritter said. "And that makes it tough for other teams to key on any one player."

McConnell and Leslie have been among the leaders nationally in several categories.

"I'm really not into promoting individuals," Ritter said. "But being in the top 50 in the country means you're pretty good."

Au Gres-Sims sophomore Natasha Dewald, who moved from point guard to shooting guard this season, has also been productive as the other starter.

"The key has been getting the team to jell and buy into what you want them to do," Ritter said. "And having leadership on the floor.

"When you get that, you can do a lot of things."

Ritter said another big plus has been getting northern Michigan girls to play at Kirtland.

"I've always thought there was a lot more talent in northern Michigan that what we were able to find," he said.

"We have some very good athletes," Fritz said. "I saw them growing up in AAU and in high school and I know what they can do.

"What has been surprising is that these are kids from mostly Class C-D schools playing kids from bigger cities and being competitive with them."

Ritter, a 65-year-old Fremont, Ohio, native who calls Grayling his home, never thought he'd be a college basketball coach let alone running his own program.

A local contractor, Ritter was an assistant coach at Grayling High for two seasons before taking over the program for two seasons.

He joined former Houghton Lake standout Teresa Stuck when Stuck took over the Kirtland program (2004-05) and helped her for two seasons before becoming the head man. Since taking over, Ritter has a 41-42 overall record.

"I just didn't expect to be coach after Grayling unless I moved somewhere," Ritter said. "But Teresa and I were good friends and I walked into an assistant's job and learned a lot."

Stuck has since moved on to become an assistant at Niagara University.

Fritz, a former girls head basketball coach at Au Gres-Sims and Ogemaw Heights and a former boys head coach at Standish-Sterling Central, hooked up with Ritter after the start of last season.

"Don's brought a lot of knowledge and experience to Kirtland," Ritter said. "He's the vocal coach.

"My voice just doesn't carry like his does. But we work well together."